On Thanksgiving morning this year, senior and band member Grace Gaghen put her years of training to the test. She was selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York City, New York. Gaghen played the trumpet and marched alongside hundreds of university students.

“[The parade] was really cool. We learned music super fast, and it was just it was a very cool experience,” Gaghen said.

The training the members of the band went through was fast-paced and intense; they had to get every move down in just three days.

“The rehearsals were really difficult,” Gaghen said. “They were, like, nine hours long each day. Oh, my God. They were hard. We didn’t get many breaks. 
We had to run all over the place. We would do a set, and then we’d run back and do it again, and again, and again and again, because we were going to be on national television in front of 60 million people.”

Gaghen has been a member of FHN’s band all four years of her high school career. She says that this is the most prestigious event she’s ever been a part of, and it will no doubt be a moment she remembers for a long time to come.

“I would definitely [participate in the parade] again,” Gaghen said.

Luckily for Gaghen, next year’s Thanksgiving parade is a special alumni celebration. Every single person who has ever marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is automatically invited to come back next year for one giant exhibit.

“Next year is the 100th year of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 20th year of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, so they said that if you marched it this year, and if you’re going to be an alumni next year, you automatically get in to march next year,” Gaghen said. “All the alumni can come back over the past 20 years for the march next year. It’s gonna be really cool.”